Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard.

If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.

But they do—when Helen comes.

"Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Quotes & Awards

“Genuinely scary,
complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real
ghost.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Winner of the 1988 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award

Winner of the 1990 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award

Listener Opinions

Rose Willow | 2/14/2014

" it was like reading deep dark and dangerous but with a horrble plot....any one whos read that books knows how awesome it is but this is the exact oppisite. "

10~11 Maddie | 2/5/2014

" A scary tale about a step sister who makes friends with a ghost in the graveyard next to the new house the family moves into. I reccomend this to people that have a taste for scary books. "

Caroline | 1/22/2014

" This creeped me out so, so much as a kid. I loved it. "

Diana Lynn | 1/22/2014

" For a children's book (and a ghost story) this one had a lot of heart. If I read this as a child I would have probably been frightened by it a bit. It wasn't scary, but it did hold my attention and overall, the ending was alright. Quick children's read for people who like ghost stories. 6.5/10. "

Whitney | 1/19/2014

" Reading this as an adult was as chilling and haunting as it was when I was a kid. "

Karlye | 1/16/2014

" Even though this is considered a children's book, it had me totally creeped out and spooked the whole time. I really enjoyed the story! "

Emily | 1/7/2014

" My 4th grade self gives it a solid 5 stars :) "

Heidi | 1/7/2014

" Reading the blurb and the good reviews on this site I expected a suspenseful ghost story but was very disappointed to find the characters lifeless, the plot wooden and predictable and the sudden ending too simple and good-to-be-true. Even the ghost was more pathetic than scary, and the character of Heather so annoying that it was painful to read on. If you want a good suspenseful read that makes you want to sleep with the lights on, this book does not deliver. Maybe the story appeals more to younger readers, as it is a ghost story without being too scary and has a happy ending, but as an adult reader I was disappointed. "

Etta | 12/31/2013

" I think it was a very good book and the kind of book I like, ghost-like!!!! "

brie | 12/27/2013

" I read this book a lot when I was younger, and it totally freaked me out! ;) It's such a fun childrens' classic, and would recommend it if you want a quick, interesting read. "

Sarah Mohamed | 12/25/2013

" i recamened this book to everyone its just so amazing "

Breanna Smith | 12/8/2013

" Imagine if your mom told you that you were moving, to live in a broken down church. And the worst part there was a grave yard in your backyard. Thats exactly what Molly, Michael, and their stepsister Heather did. "

Maddie(: | 11/23/2013

" This book was defintely a thriller . There was so much suspicion to it, I nearly left my mouth open while reading it! I honestly hope Mary does a sequal to this book . It was my favorite . "

JÎ±â„“Ñ‡Î· | 11/7/2013

" I have only read a few chapters from this book.But I LOVED all of it! Because it was a borrowed book I couldn't finish it. but when I can get it, it will defs be on my To Read list! "

Stephanie | 9/13/2013

" I read this a while ago... actually, like, 3 years ago. Haha :) anyway it's an awesome book. It's very suspenseful and REALLY scary, but not too scary for young children. I recommend it for 10-12 year olds. "

Ashley "Batina" | 6/24/2013

" I have read this book every summer since I was in the 5th grade and it is still, to this day, the best ghost story I've ever heard :) "

Deana | 4/7/2013

" A good, if predictable, scary story that my students will enjoy. "

CLM | 10/23/2012

" As I recall, Time for Andrew is another good one. "

Athena | 9/3/2012

" her stories r the best they are spooky and freak me out sometimes but they r just really awesome i love this one "

Danielle Baldwin | 8/4/2012

" Wait till Helen comes was a very page turning, suspenseful book. "

Lisa | 7/5/2012

" I think I read this book about 18yrs ago. I'm 30 now. This was one of my favorite books. I still remember being scared. But loved it. I must've borrowed this from the library like a half dozen times. "

Tricia Villanueva | 4/14/2012

" It's my fault for not loving this supposedly-scary-but-not-really novel - I should've read this ten years ago and maybe I would've gotten the scare that I'm looking for. Okay now I feel old. "

Sarah | 12/5/2011

" Note- Kind of disturbing that in the ghost story, the most fear I felt was that Molly's stepfather was going to hurt her and her brother. "

Annika | 9/6/2011

" This book scared the crap out of me but I loved it. Parts of it really scared me and other parts just made me feel good inside but I am a fan of Mary Downing Hahn. "

Christina | 7/31/2011

" This was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I re-read it so many times. "

Karen Cox | 6/5/2011

" Great ghost story for the 10-13 year range. loved it! "

Sandra | 5/22/2011

" i think this book was great i could visualize every sentence that i read.
"

" an awesome book. I really enjoyed it read in two days I like horror, and I felt it was scary. I think it should be for at least 14 and up.
"

Emily | 5/16/2011

" Good ! Kinda feaked me out but still , likes it ..
"

Kaylyn | 5/14/2011

" super super good book! it has a very warm hearted feel at the end!
"

Araia | 5/13/2011

" This is a really good book too.
"

Dondero | 4/29/2011

" I liked this book a lot. I think the kids who asked for a real ghost story will enjoy this one. It's spooky and scary with a satisfying ending.
"

Stephanie | 4/20/2011

" I read this when I was in middle school and never forgot it. i have read it many times since. An easy read but really good for all ages!
"

Tina | 4/19/2011

" I remember reading this book as a child and thinking it was so scary and awesome. I read it again to see how my memory of it held up, and it was pretty creepy for a kid's book, but overall, it was okay.
"

Other Titles by Mary Downing Hahn:

About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children’s librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, she lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.

About the Narrator

Ellen Grafton has narrated numerous audiobooks, many in
the kids and young adult categories. She can be heard on such titles as Duff, Girls Acting Catty, New Beginnings,
and several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Teens Talk series.

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